Foreword of Dean Marisol Anenias in Review Outline in Civil Procedure authored by Prof. Alvin Claridades

1. F O R E W O R D
A couple of months prior to the start
of the academic semester in the law
schools, the college undergoes a period
which I call the se preparer au combat
phase. It is during this time that we
undertake, among other things, the
seemingly innocuous task of selecting
professors for the incoming term. As one of
the prime indicators of the success of the
law school is the individual strength of its
facultymembers, itis crucial thatwe arecircumspectinmanner, as well
as discriminating in matter, in the highly selective task of completing
the roster of instructors.
And so it had come to pass that we evolved fromhearing of each
other within the legal academic circle to having a concrete connection
as fellow members of the Universidad de Manila Collegeof Law faculty.
As one American novelist was quoted to say "I write to discover
what I know", we initially sought out Professor Claridades to teach
Succession on account of his authorship of the book "Succession: An
Incisive Disquisition". Indeed, he knew the subject, taught it well and
cemented his role as a professor not just in UDM but in the entire legal
academe thru the affirmation of his students in the various universities
where he teaches.
It was thus a delightful play at fortuity that I am now given this
privilege to introduce the newest addition to his growing (and diverse)
collection of written legal works --- “Review Outline in Civil Procedure”.
Do not let the title confuseyou. "Review Outline" makes you think
--- study guide for students or for candidates to the bar examinations

2. which effectively removes lawyers from its consumer ambit. So I was
pleasantly surprised to find that the book is inclusive of a wider target
market such that it can also serve as a helpful guide and quick index for
practitioners.
The Review Outline in Civil Procedure presents you with a simple,
straightforward text that's a refreshing alternative to the annotation
heavy volumes that we, as former law students, chose to drown in with
our subliminal insistence on MORE equals comprehension. I was
immediately pleased with the ease by which I went through the initial
pages noting the attention given to spatial formatting and visual
ergonomics which aids exponentially in cognition. I appreciate the
concise and useful substance that is lacking in most outline format
works. Likewisenotableistheconsideratereferencesnotjusttoprimary
legal sources but to relevant laws, significant eventsand even past bar
examination questions. It is of interest to mention as well the
thoughtfulness in including topics that are not staples in the regular
textbooks and yet particularly helpful in practice.
I find remedial law books the hardest to write. To produce an
effective text one does not just need theoretical knowledge but
experience, insight and common sense. The daunting task for every
writeristo ensurethatyour publishedworkisnot relegatedtojustbeing
a codex of words. It should be elevated as a living exposition of the
subject that communicates itself to the reader in both informative and
practical manner.
I commend Atty. Claridades for his generosity in undertaking the
enormous task of documenting this work and sharing it with the world.
Once again he has contributed to enriching our arsenal of legal
references.
I would like to end this introduction with the words of Benjamin
Franklin, "either write something worth reading or do something worth
writing". Atty. Claridades continues to do both.
More power!

3. MARISOL DL ANENIAS
Dean